Egyptian judges, stung by criticism, assert powers

June 07, 2012|Reuters

* Judges answer criticism over verdicts

* Members of parliament, judges trade barbs

By Dina Zayed

CAIRO, June 7 (Reuters) - Senior judges defended Egypt'sjudiciary on Thursday from attacks over its handling of thetrial of toppled ruler Hosni Mubarak, accusing critics of tryingto interfere with the institution's powers and drag it intopolitical battles.

Judge Ahmed el-Zend, head of the influential Judge's Club,called for legal investigations into members of parliament for"slandering" the judiciary and the judge in the Mubarak case.

"This is an intervention in the work of the judiciary," Zendtold a news conference. "This is a dark, fierce attack againstthe judiciary."

A court on Saturday sentenced the former ruler and hisinterior minister to life imprisonment for their role in thekillings of protesters in the 2011 uprising that ended Mubarak'srule. Six senior police officers were acquitted for lack ofevidence.

The verdicts were met by angry street protests by Egyptianswho considered them too lenient and demanded a purge of thejudiciary.

Members of the Islamist-dominated parliament attacked theverdicts, accusing the court of ignoring the rights of peacefulprotesters killed in the uprising.

Zend said the judiciary would not be intimidated by suchcriticism.

"Judges will have a say in determining the future of thiscountry and its fate. We will not leave it to you to do with itwhat you want," he said.

Zaghloul al-Balshy, a senior judge and vice chairman of theCourt of Cassation, told Reuters that if there were objectionsto the ruling against Mubarak, the appropriate legal avenuewould be an appeal and not attacks on the courts at large.

"People accepted to revert to the judiciary, then they mustrespect the judiciary. To shove it into what does not involve ithas shaken confidence in the institution," he said.

One of the few institutions that survived the uprisingintact and operated with some independence during Mubarak'srule, the judiciary has since handled a series of high-profilecases that have put it into public focus and in some cases ledto unpopular acquittals.